Notes on Luke 12:9-34

Luke 12:9

Disciples are tempted to deny Jesus in order to escape persecution. Yet, true believers confess their faith in Jesus (v. 8), even in the face of suffering (see 1 Pet. 1:6-9; 3:13-17).

Luke 12:10

Son of Man. Jesus; see note on 5:22-24. Words spoken against Jesus will be forgiven (see 22:54-62; John 21:15-19). However, there is an unforgivable sin against the Holy Spirit. blasphemes. All who truly repent will be forgiven and saved (Acts 2:21; 3:18-19; Rom. 10:13; 2 Cor. 7:9-10). But this sin is unique in that it attributes the work of the Holy Spirit to demons. In the immediate context, Luke recorded religious leaders who saw God's power in Jesus's life but refused to believe. They saw the Holy Spirit working through Jesus, but blasphemed by calling it the work of Satan (11:14-20; Matt. 12:22-32). This was evidence of their evil intentions (see Acts 7:51). Thus, what is unforgivable is clearly seeing God's saving work but continuing to deny and oppose it (see Matt. 28:11-15).

Luke 12:11-12

Believers enduring persecution and facing martyrdom need not worry about what to say. The Holy Spirit will help their previous study of God's Word so they can give a defense of their faith (21:14-15; see Acts 4:8-13; 6:10; 7:2-60).

Luke 12:13-14

See WCF 31.5.

Luke 12:13

It was not uncommon for Jewish people to come to the rabbis and ask for help solving family disputes. They were supposed to know the Law of God and therefore be able to apply it to the various situations in life.

Luke 12:14

Jesus's response might seem surprising. But he was careful to not be distracted from his mission (9:51). Moreover, he knew the man's heart. His request for help was driven by greed (v. 15), not justice (Deut. 21:15-17; Num. 27:1-11; 36:7-9).

Luke 12:15

Greed is not limited to the wealthy. One can be poor and still covet for more. Greed is idolatry (Col. 3:5; Eph. 5:5) — wanting, loving, desiring our possessions more than God. See WLC 142; HC 110.

Luke 12:16-21

Jesus told a parable to warn about greed and explain his response to the man who sought his help (vv. 14-15). WLC 142; HC 110.

Luke 12:16

parable. See note on 8:4.

Luke 12:19

Rest easy, eat, drink, be merry. Sometimes such action is the result of God's blessings (see Ecc. 2:24; 3:13; 5:18; 8:15). Here, it shows that the man is self-centered. He is not mindful of God's blessing and does not live accordingly (v. 20-21; see Exod. 32:6; 2 Sam. 11:11; Isa. 22:12-13; Jer. 16:8).

Luke 12:20

Foolish. The man was foolish because he planned without thinking about God (Ps. 14:1). required. Jesus taught that our life is not our own, but a loan from God our Creator.

Luke 12:21

The man who desired to be rich died poor. He missed out on knowing God, which matters most in this life and the life to come (see Matt. 6:19-21).

Luke 12:22-34

See HC 26.

Luke 12:22

disciples. The promises given by Jesus in these verses (vv. 22-34) are for those who have put their faith in him. Therefore. The negative example of the parable (vv. 16-21) is the basis for Jesus's teaching about trusting God, not possessions (vv. 13-21). do not worry. The basic theme for this section (vv. 22-34). Jesus used several examples of God's provision for lesser things to show he would surely care for his people.

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